Mudgee Arts Precinct Formally Opened
Published on 10 November 2021
Mudgee Arts Precinct was formally opened by NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin at a ceremony this evening. Minister Harwin was joined by Member for Dubbo, Dugald Saunders and Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee for the building’s official opening, which had been delayed from August due to health orders.
Council’s General Manager, Brad Cam said the Mudgee Arts Precinct building has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public.
“Mudgee Arts Precinct is a state-of-the-art purpose built gallery, providing a collaborative and accessible space, bringing together artists and the community,” Mr Cam said.
“In addition to important gallery spaces, the precinct is the new home of Mudgee Region Tourism and is one of the first impressions our 691,000 annual visitors will experience. It offers community spaces for meetings and workshops, and is a hub to promote, nurture and facilitate participation in art, creativity and cultural activities.
“We know this building was much desired with 52 per cent of residents listing it among their top five projects in 2016.
“I’d like to thank the NSW and Australian Governments for their support and generosity to bring this building to life. The finished building is a brilliant marriage of the new and old, with a nod to the region’s heritage through the incorporation of the Cudgegong Shire Building as well as the contemporary architecture of the main gallery and Mudgee Region Tourism spaces.”
Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin said the NSW Government is proud to have supported the development of the new purpose-built Arts Precinct in Mudgee.
“I encourage you to visit NSW’s newest Arts Precinct and regional art gallery,” Minister Harwin said.
“Located in the heart of Mudgee, the precinct is the latest development in a series cultural infrastructure projects funded by Create NSW since 2017. It’s symbolic of the vibrancy and creativity that runs through the NSW community, and I know it will establish Mudgee as an arts and culture destination and draw more visitors and economic opportunities to the region.”
Member for Dubbo, Dugald Saunders said the precinct will provide a wonderful space for locals to show off their artistic skills, while at the same time being a destination for outside artists to visit as well.
“This project started with members of the local community seeking a place to call their own, and was made possible through the sale of the site to Council for $1, and collaboration from all three levels of government.
“After a few false starts, it’s great to be able to finally open the Mudgee Arts Precinct, which I’m sure will become another iconic landmark for the region.”
Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee said the precinct will foster a love of art and culture in the region for many generations to come.
“The precinct will be the beating heart of culture, creativity and information in the region, with many outstanding exhibitions of local, Australian, and international art now bound for Mudgee. This project was a real team effort, with all levels of government coming together to create a space which will inspire, amaze, and excite locals and visitors of all ages and interests, for many generations to come.
“I’m delighted the Federal Government backed the project with a $1.5 million boost, and I’m proud the skills and talents of local artists, and the rich culture of our region, will be celebrated and shared with visitors.”
The building’s opening coincided with the official opening of the inaugural exhibition Stories from Homedale by its artist Guido Maestri (formerly Guy Maestri) and renowned Australia artist, Ben Quilty.
Born in Mudgee, Maestri has become one of Australia’s most significant contemporary landscape painters, winning the 2007 and 2008 Dobell Drawing Award, and the 2009 Archibald Prize. Maestri’s Stories from Homedale is the first exhibition for the Mudgee Arts Precinct, that represents a dramatic new approach to landscape that emerged when he was forced to rely on memory whilst in lockdown last year.
“I spent my childhood in Mudgee…I’ve been returning to paint there for a decade, and started this series of large-scale works en plein air by the Cudgegong River,” Maestri said.
“When lockdown hit, I was forced to finish them in my Sydney studio, where they became infused with memory and imagination.”
The Stories from Homedale exhibition will run until 9 January.
A collection of Aboriginal art from the Gora Singh Mann Collection is also currently on exhibition in the precinct’s Seminar Room. Mr Mann, a well-known local philanthropist, has been collecting art for more than 50 years and has generously loaned a selection of works from some of Australia’s most acclaimed artists, including Gloria Petyarre and Minnie Pwerle.
Mudgee Arts Precinct is open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm, entry is free.
Council secured $5.3 million to deliver the project through grant funding from the NSW and Australian Governments.